The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

As reliable as the muezzin’s call
are the four words that echo in every child’s ear: pick up this mess!

“I’ve made a mess,” says the cat,
not without a hint of pride. The dog is not so sure: “Maybe you should clean it
up.” Powell-Tuck’s dog has an innate sense of tidiness, and her cat would be
hard-pressed to think of something more boring than cleaning up. The cat tries
shoving the mess—a rather gay collage of a mess, as Smythe presents it, much
like the remains of a stack of glossy magazines once a hamster is through with
them—but the neighbors are not inclined to house the mess, nor are the denizens
of the ocean when the cat tries to sink the mess. “And now the mess is soggy,”
notes the dog. The cat ponders: “We could hide the mess under my bed…or blow it
up…or eat it.” Enough, says the dog. When the vacuum cleaner explodes from
excess capacity, cat agrees to just plain pick the stuff up. Which calls for a
party. Which results in another mess. The book is a good laugh, but it is also
fundamentally provocative: is making a mess worth the consequences? Of course
it is.

Powell-Tuck nails it: it was your
fun; now it is your mess. Do the right thing, which is the doorway to more fun.
(Picture book. 3-7)

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.